The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-10-01
An vmRAvElEo MYSTERY.


In the early days of the Wood
river excitement no man was per.
haps better known than Theodric
r. Butler, a mine owner and opera.
tor. A jolly, sociable man; his
friends were legion, and his friend.
ship once secured was lasting
He with Milt Mourning were own
ers of a number Of claims in this
district and their. partnership has
never been dissolved although it has
been many years since Butler was
here. When Bonanza was EMO Ting
its first boom, Messrs. Haggin &
Tevis, the great mining operators,
secured the services of Mr.. Butler
and appointed him superintendent
of the Custer mill and mining
property which they had purchased
and commenced. to operate. In
such position he remained until
1880, when he left for San Francis
co, and shortly after Haggin & Tevis
sent him to Auguanuevo, in the
state of Cinoloa, Mexico, as super
intendent of some mining property
which the firm had secured there,
giving to Butler an interest in the
same. Later on he resigned the
SUPPLEMENTARY and sold out his
interest, cleaning up about 10000,
which he invested in other mining
property. This last venture did
not prove profitable one and see-
ing his money rapidly wasting
away, Butler made the best of a
bad bargain and arranged to
SELL OUT ALL HIS INTEREST
To other parties and, leaving the
collection of the purchase price in
the hands of a friend, started for
Mazatlan, the seaport town of that
country. Here commences. the
that has surrounded the
whereabouts of Butler ever since.
He was seen ut Mazatlan and then
disappeared. Latest ad-
vices bring no intelligence Of what
has become of him and his fate is
enshrouded in the deepest mystery.
The general supposition is that he
has been murdered by some parties
who, learning of the sale he had
made, and naturally supposing him
to have the money about his per-
son. successfully cOncOctcd plan
to make away with him. BY few
it is also surmised that Butler has
fallen into the hands of Bcrnal, n
noted brigand who has infested
that part of Mexico for many
months past. This is the same
brigand chief who some time ago
captured Ed. Terry, a miner we'll
known in Ketchum who was pros
pecting in the Cinoloa mountains.
Terry lost all his provisions and
outfit but was allowed to go, Bernal
thinking nothing could be made
out of holding him for a ransmo.
If Butler has been taken prisoner
by the robber chief. it may be that
he will yet be released from captiv-
ity or make his escape, but from
the length Of time elapsing since
HIS MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
The general opinion prevails that
he has been murdered for his money
and his body hidden in some unfre-
quented spot. Butler came to the
coast from the state of Iowa where
he has relatives now residing. He
was brother-in-law of W. b. Hyde,
who died at Bonanza some years
ago. The latest intelligence con-
corning Butler was that brought by
Captain Henry Guyer, who recently
arrived i'm Ketchum from South
When at Mazatlan he
inquired for Butler and learned
what is here given re-
garding his mysterious disappear
ance. Prior to coming to Idaho
Butler was in the state of Nevada,
and for some time lived at Tusca-
rora where he was engaged in min
ing. He was also well known in
Eureka and other Nevada mining
towns, and will be we'll remembered
by many in that state and his
presumed fate will be a subject of
general regret among them.